Goedeker's
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedA St. Louis-based American retailer of appliances, furniture, mattresses, and other home goods that later became Polished.com before entering liquidation.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Goedeker's was an American home-goods retailer founded in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1951 by Ben Goedeker. The business began as Goedeker Radio and Television Repair, operating from the founder's home and combining repair services with sales of discounted electronics and appliances. Over subsequent decades, it developed into a family-operated retail business with showroom, warehouse, and delivery operations serving customers in the United States. The company expanded its physical footprint as its appliance business grew. It moved from a small initial showroom to larger facilities, opened an additional showroom in 1998, and broadened its merchandise assortment to include furniture and mattresses. The business experienced a downturn in the early 2000s and closed one of its larger showrooms. Near the end of the decade, financial pressure brought the company close to bankruptcy. Its response was to develop an e-commerce operation, initially through Number1Direct.com, which became an important growth channel. The company later consolidated its internet identity under Goedekers.com and introduced a mobile-friendly website in 2014. Goedeker's remained closely associated with the Goedeker family for much of its history. Ben's son Steve joined the business full-time in 1973 and assumed leadership after Ben's death in 1977. Steve's siblings Mike Goedeker and Janet Minor later joined the operation, overseeing sales and accounting respectively. The family-led company subsequently pursued outside capital and expansion. In 2019, it entered a partnership with 1847 Holdings, LLC, and Doug Moore became chief executive officer. The retailer's strategy increasingly emphasized online national distribution rather than a primarily local showroom model. In 2020, Goedeker's announced the acquisition of Appliances Connection, a transaction completed in June 2021. The deal significantly enlarged the combined online appliance business. The company also acquired Florida-based Appliance Gallery in 2022. That year, Rick Bunka, previously associated with Appliances Connection, became chief executive, and the corporate entity announced a transition to the Polished name and the POL ticker on NYSE American. The Goedeker's retail identity did not survive as an operating business. In February 2024, Polished suspended operations after failing to secure additional financing and announced plans to pursue Chapter 7 liquidation. Customer complaints and criticism concerning service and alleged deceptive practices had also affected the brand's reputation, with the Better Business Bureau advising consumers to exercise caution. Polished.com filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 7, 2024. As a result, Goedeker's is best understood as a defunct American appliance and home-furnishings retailer whose local family business evolved into a national e-commerce platform before its corporate successor entered liquidation.
History
Goedeker's began in June 1951 when Ben Goedeker established Goedeker Radio and Television Repair in his home in south St. Louis. The original business focused on repair work, but success in that field enabled Ben to add sales of discounted electronics and appliances. He opened a 1,200-square-foot showroom and expanded to a 3,500-square-foot building in 1970. Ben's eldest son, Steve Goedeker, worked in the business after school and during summers. After graduating from college in 1973, Steve joined the company full-time. When Ben died of cancer in 1977, Steve took over leadership. Under Steve's direction, the retailer continued to grow and moved into a 22,000-square-foot facility in 1989. In 1990, Steve's siblings Mike Goedeker and Janet Minor joined the company; Mike managed sales and Janet managed accounting. In 1998, the company added another showroom in a 50,000-square-foot building and expanded beyond appliances into furniture and mattresses. The growth phase was followed by a downturn beginning in 2001. Goedeker's closed its 22,000-square-foot showroom and later approached bankruptcy. To create a new growth channel, the company launched the Number1Direct.com e-commerce site in 2009, after the business had nearly failed in 2008. The online operation grew over the following years. In 2012, Goedeker's converted 45,000 square feet of its remaining 50,000-square-foot facility into warehouse and office space, retaining approximately 5,000 square feet as a St. Louis showroom. The company also moved toward a unified brand identity by transitioning from Number1Direct.com to Goedekers.com. A mobile-friendly version of the website launched in summer 2014, reflecting the increasing importance of mobile commerce. The business entered a new phase in June 2019 through a partnership with 1847 Holdings, LLC. Doug Moore was appointed chief executive and was tasked with leading expansion. Goedeker's announced the acquisition of Appliances Connection in October 2020; the deal closed in June 2021 and materially broadened the company's online appliance operations. The company also acquired Florida-based Appliance Gallery in 2022. In July 2022, the corporate business announced that it would operate under the name Polished and use the POL ticker on NYSE American. In August, Rick Bunka, who had been chief executive of Appliances Connection, succeeded Doug Moore as CEO of the combined business. The reorganization marked the transition from a family-rooted St. Louis retailer to a broader publicly traded online home-goods platform. The expansion did not produce a sustainable operating outcome. In February 2024, Polished suspended operations after efforts to raise capital and improve liquidity failed to secure additional financing. It announced an intention to pursue Chapter 7 liquidation and ceased operations immediately. Polished.com filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 7, 2024. The brand also faced substantial customer criticism involving service quality and alleged deceptive practices; the Better Business Bureau advised consumers to exercise caution. Goedeker's therefore ended as a defunct retailer after more than seven decades of operation, with its final corporate form represented by Polished.com.
- 2024
Operations halted and Chapter 7 bankruptcy followed
[1]The successor company suspended operations in February and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 7.
- 2022
Transition to Polished and POL
[1]The company announced its new Polished corporate identity and POL ticker, while Rick Bunka became CEO.
- 2021
Appliances Connection acquisition completed
[1]The acquisition closed in June and expanded the combined company's online appliance retail scale.
- 2019
Partnership with 1847 Holdings
[1]The company entered a partnership focused on growth and expansion and appointed Doug Moore CEO.
- 2014
Mobile-friendly website launched
[1]The retailer introduced a mobile-oriented version of its website during the summer.
- 2012
Warehouse conversion and brand-domain transition
[1]Most of the main facility was converted to warehouse and office use, and the company adopted Goedekers.com as its principal web identity.
- 2009
Number1Direct.com launched
[1]The e-commerce site became a recovery and growth channel after the company approached bankruptcy.
- 1998
Furniture and mattresses added
[1]The company opened an additional showroom and expanded its assortment beyond appliances.
- 1989
Move to a 22,000-square-foot facility
[1]Continued growth required a substantially larger showroom and operating site.
- 1977
Steve Goedeker assumed leadership
[1]After Ben Goedeker's death, his son Steve took over the family business.
Products and positioning
Value-oriented appliance and home-furnishings retail, combining discounted merchandise, showroom shopping, and nationwide e-commerce.
Appliances · 1951
Major appliances
Major household appliances were the core of Goedeker's merchandise assortment. The retailer sold products for kitchens and laundry rooms through its showroom and, increasingly, through its national e-commerce operation. Its appliance focus continued through the Appliances Connection acquisition and the later Polished corporate structure.
Appliances
Kitchen appliances
Kitchen appliances formed a prominent part of the retailer's value-oriented offering. The category included the types of household equipment associated with cooking, refrigeration, and kitchen outfitting, although the available reference material does not provide a complete historical catalog.
Appliances
Laundry appliances
Laundry equipment, including washers and dryers, was among the typical appliance lines associated with Goedeker's. These products were sold through the company's physical and online retail channels before operations ended.
Home furnishings · 1998
Furniture
Goedeker's expanded into furniture in the late 1990s, allowing it to serve customers furnishing broader parts of the home rather than only replacing appliances. Furniture became part of the company's combined home-goods and e-commerce assortment.
Home furnishings · 1998
Mattresses
Mattresses were added alongside furniture during the company's 1998 expansion. The line extended Goedeker's store and online offer into bedroom furnishings and complemented its broader home-retail positioning.
E-commerce offering · 2009
Number1Direct.com
Number1Direct.com was the company's early dedicated e-commerce site, launched in 2009 after a period of severe financial pressure. It became an important growth vehicle before the business transitioned its web identity to Goedekers.com.
Controversies
Customer-service and deceptive-practice criticism
Goedeker's received numerous customer complaints involving poor customer service and alleged deceptive business practices. The Better Business Bureau advised consumers to use caution when considering transactions with the retailer. The available reference does not establish a specific court judgment or regulator finding resolving all allegations.
Brand decisions
2024
Suspension of operations and liquidation planStrategyBackground
The company reported that it could not obtain additional financing despite efforts to raise capital and improve liquidity.
Action taken
Polished suspended operations in February 2024 and announced an intention to pursue Chapter 7 liquidation.
Aftermath
The business ceased operations immediately, and Polished.com filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 7, 2024.
2022
Corporate rebranding as PolishedStrategyBackground
Following acquisitions and the development of a broader online platform, the company sought a corporate identity beyond the original family retail name.
Action taken
The company announced that it would operate under the Polished name and use the POL ticker on NYSE American.
Aftermath
Goedeker's continued as a historical and retail-facing identity within a corporate structure that ultimately suspended operations and entered liquidation.
2020
Acquisition of Appliances ConnectionM&ABackground
Goedeker's sought to accelerate its online appliance strategy and expand beyond its historical St. Louis retail base.
Action taken
The company announced the acquisition of Appliances Connection; the transaction closed in June 2021.
Aftermath
The combined business became one of the larger pure-play online household-appliance retailers in the United States, according to the reference material.
2012
Shift toward warehouse-based e-commerce operationsStrategyBackground
Online sales had become increasingly important, while the company needed operating space for fulfillment and administration.
Action taken
Goedeker's converted most of its 50,000-square-foot facility to warehouse and office use, retained a smaller showroom, and moved its web identity to Goedekers.com.
Aftermath
The decision aligned the physical footprint and branding with a more nationally oriented online retail model.
2009
Launch of an e-commerce growth channelStrategyBackground
The company had approached bankruptcy and needed a route beyond its traditional showroom-centered model.
Action taken
Goedeker's launched Number1Direct.com to sell appliances and related home products online.
Aftermath
The website grew over the following years and became central to the retailer's recovery and expansion strategy.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/goedekers · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled